SHG storms back to beat Rochester

ROCHESTER — Rochester High School seemed to run out of steam Saturday night following an increase in defensive pressure by Sacred Heart-Griffin. The Rockets saw their 49-42 lead not only dwindle but completely disappear as SHG finished on a 10-0 run to win 52-49.

ROCHESTER — Rochester High School seemed to run out of steam Saturday night following an increase in defensive pressure by Sacred Heart-Griffin.

The Rockets saw their 49-42 lead not only dwindle but completely disappear as SHG finished on a 10-0 run to win 52-49 in a Central State Eight Conference boys basketball game in Rochester’s old gymnasium.

“This just goes to show there are no off nights in this conference,” SHG coach Blake Lucas said. “We’re lucky; we got outplayed tonight. We survived tonight.”

Furious finish

After Rochester’s Howard Fisher sank two free throws to give him a team-high 19 points on the night and the Rockets a seven-point lead with 4 minutes 17 seconds left, the teams would stay scoreless for the next 2:03 of the game.

Only SHG would score again.

“We put on the board at the beginning of the game that we needed to play for 32 minutes and unfortunately tonight, we only played for 29,” Rochester coach Mike Steers said. “This is another close game for us and we’ll continue to get better.

“Hopefully by the end of the season, we’ll win one of these (close games).”

Nate Lowis scored at the basket to pull SHG within 49-44 with 2:14 remaining and Ben Sestak — owner of a game-high 21 points — drilled a corner 3-pointer 42 seconds later. That made it a 49-47 game.

The Rockets had two chances in 26 seconds to add even a point to their ever-shrinking lead, but Dalton Handlin and Fisher would each miss the front end of a one-and-one free throw.

Sestak, who was sitting on four fouls, found good friend Sean McDonald on the wing, who splashed in a 3-pointer to give SHG a 50-49 lead.

“I did (know McDonald would be in position). I knew he was going to make it too,” Sestak said. “We’ve been best buds forever so I knew he was going to hit it.”

Sestak also knew he knew McDonald’s shot would give the Cyclones the win.

“Once we took that lead, I knew we were going to pull it out. We fought back and we weren’t going to let it go,” Sestak said.

It was the Cyclones’ first lead since going up 12-10 with 2:07 left in the first quarter.

Sweating to end

McDonald would later hit two free throws to give SHG a three-point lead.

Sestak had a chance to ice the game for the Cyclones (9-4 overall, 3-2 CS8) with a free throw plus the bonus and just :04.7 remaining, but missed.

Page 2 of 2 - The ball hit the hands of numerous players and went out of bounds. The officials awarded the ball to SHG with :01.6 remaining.

On the inbounds pass, Malik Turner, who finished with 10 points, was fouled. He too missed the one-and-bonus opportunity.

Rochester’s Matt Swaine grabbed the rebound, called a timeout and the officials put :00.4 on the clock. Sestak swatted the full-court pass like a volleyball to prevent the Rockets from being able to get a shot off before the buzzer.

SHG won the turnover battle, 16-4. But the Cyclones’ defense, even when not getting turnovers late, wasn’t letting Rochester get the same looks at the basket as they once had.